Even Carissa shot Hayden a glance.Hayden said that he now realized Yuvan was a dutiful son, which meant the latter hadn't always given that impression. At least, that was how it sounded to others.Yet, among the royal family, this revelation left everyone puzzled. After all, Yuvan had always been dutiful. Each year, he submitted a request to return to the capital to visit his mom. Sometimes, it was approved, while other times, it was denied. It had been that way even back when the late emperor was still alive.Such dedication—how could it not be moving?But on a day like today, when spirits were high, not many paid much attention to Hayden's words. Salvador, however, cast Yuvan a meaningful look.Yuvan's expression changed slightly before he smiled as usual and said, "Our ancestors ruled with kindness and devotion. How could I dare not be dutiful to my parents?"Rafael glanced at Hayden but remained silent, continuing to enjoy his meal with Carissa.After the palace banquet, th
After leaving the palace, Carissa spoke to Rafael about the matter while they were in the carriage.Rafael recalled a report from Jacob, who had people monitoring both Edgeview Estate and Hartstone Estate. Ever since the rebellion case, Hartstone Estate had been eerily quiet and Harvey seldom ventured out. He had only left his estate two or three times, each time for a drink with someone. After a couple of outings, he had stopped altogether."There's a possibility that Harvey isn't ill at all but has actually left the capital," Rafael said, furrowing his brow. "Even though our people have been keeping a close watch on Hartstone Estate, there's bound to be a lapse after so long. If Harvey has changed his appearance or disguised himself, he might go unnoticed.""Where would he go at this time?" Carissa asked."Let's get back to the estate first," Rafael replied, running the current situation through his mind and forming a hypothesis.Tonight, Hell Monarch Estate was lively, with the
In the study, Jacob, Rafael, and Kyle had been discussing for over two hours.If Harvey wasn't in the capital, there were three possible places he could have gone.The first was Victory Pass. Yuvan, Harvey, and their people likely had planted some informants there. The second was Stonebridge County, where their private army was stationed. The third option was a military garrison outside the capital. Harvey had probably been covertly establishing connections there over the years.No matter where he went, it indicated that they were taking action.However, Rafael and the others had always believed that Harvey was the most patient among them. Why was he the one making a move first now?"Perhaps he's going all in," Jacob said. "After all, Eleanor is still alive. They might prefer to take a gamble rather than live in fear."Rafael shook his head. "I don't think it's a gamble. They've been plotting for too long. The best opportunity to strike was during the battle at the Southern Front
Zoey had a clear purpose for coming here today—she wanted to inquire about the embroidery workshop and the women's academy. If the people of Hell Monarch Estate were indeed establishing a women's academy, she hoped to secure a spot for her daughter.Normally, she would have brought her daughter with her, but doing so would make her intentions too obvious. It would seem as though she was pressuring Carissa to accept her daughter, which might make the princess consort uncomfortable.So, instead of bringing her daughter along, Zoey decided to gather information first and find out what was required. That way, she could go home and prepare everything."There's no need to be formal. Let's move to the side hall and chat," Carissa said with a smile, leading them to a smaller chamber.Meanwhile, Rafael, who had just woken up, was left facing Davis, who was still yawning.Davis covered his mouth with his hand, stifling another yawn, and asked, "Are there any places to lie down here, Your Hi
At first, Violet tried to keep things relaxed with her apprentices. After all, it was the New Year—what was the point of acting all high and mighty as their mentor?But when she saw the three couples treating her with such reverence, and when Max's wife, Esther, personally took a cup of coffee from a servant and handed it to her, she realized that the role of a mentor had to be taken seriously. The other two women stood by Violet's side attentively, as if she was their mother-in-law.At that point, even Violet had no choice but to play her role. Still, she couldn't help but wonder—did it really have to be this way?Back at the Inferno Guild, she wasn't treated like this. Most of the time, it was her mentor who pampered her. As for serving refreshments, that was usually left to the new apprentices. What business did she, a senior apprentice, have doing that? But when she first joined, no one had treated her that way either.A sense of guilt stirred within Violet, and she found herse
For the next two or three days, Carissa didn't have time to entertain guests. There was still much to handle with the Mystic Army, and she couldn't leave everything to others. Plus, she had to head back to the Capital Guard headquarters soon.Meanwhile, Rafael and Jacob were inspecting the site for the women's academy. There was a lot of repair work to be done, along with expansion plans, and the cold weather didn't help. Progress had slowed as they approached the New Year, but fortunately, the funds were in place, so things could move forward smoothly now.On the eighth day of January, Barrett submitted a formal application for mourning due to his mom's passing. He first presented it to his superior, Carissa, who then passed it on to the king.Salvador took a quick glance at the application and asked, "What do you think?"Carissa paused, wondering what the king meant."I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I'm not sure what you're asking.""Military generals don't observe mourning. There
The announcement would be made after the New Year festivities, which meant that either a new leader for the Crown Guard would be appointed or Barrett would not be allowed to observe mourning for his mom.After Carissa left, Salvador examined Barrett's mourning application once more before tossing it back onto the desk.He turned to Derek and asked, "What do you think? Should Barrett be allowed to observe mourning?"Derek bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, this is a matter of selecting officials. I dare not offer my opinion.""Although it's a matter of appointing officials, this is about someone serving directly under me in the Crown Guard. Speak freely."Derek thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't know, Your Majesty."Salvador's eyes sharpened, his gaze growing cold. "Is it that you don't know, or that you don't dare say?"Derek had served Salvador for many years and understood his temperament well. If it were any other official, one whose position could be easi
For a moment, no one spoke.Though it had been anticipated that the new king of Westhaven would inevitably investigate the Fawnrun City incident upon his ascension, no one had expected Edmund to act so quickly. He had barely settled into the throne, which was still warm from his predecessor, yet had already begun the investigation, going so far as to imprison Liam immediately.Liam had only just survived an assassination attempt, and his body had not fully healed. Now, with him thrown into the dungeon, no one knew if he could endure the harsh conditions.Rafael finally broke the long silence, saying, "The second thing he will do as king is likely to directly confront Starhaven and hold us accountable for what happened in Fawnrun City.""That's without a doubt," Jacob responded.Carissa turned to Rafael, concern in her eyes. "Have Scott and Wilfred managed to infiltrate Westhaven yet?"Those two members of the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team were from Stonebrook District and ha
With Salvador having summoned the court officials to the royal study, the discussions continued late into the night. It was only when Sebastian stepped in to interrupt, informing them that the hour had grown late, that the session came to a close."Has it really gotten this late? Let's call it a night, then. The palace gates will be locked soon," said Salvador, stretching his arms with a smile.Despite the late hour, the king appeared to be in high spirits, especially with the color back in his face. He hardly resembled a man suffering from illness.Carissa waited for Rafael to finish his meeting before leaving the palace with him. Exhausted, she leaned against his shoulder and drifted into a deep, drowsy sleep.When the carriage arrived at the estate, Rafael lifted her into his arms. Carissa, half-conscious, recognized the motion but was too tired to protest. She simply let him carry her inside, finding comfort in his strong embrace.Over the past three months, she had only been
On the fifteenth of October, the envoy delegation finally returned to the capital.The Mystic Army dispersed on the spot, while Davis, Alden, and the other officials made their way to the palace to report to the king. Kendrick, who had been weak and unable to stand on his own, seemed to find strength now. He insisted that he accompany them to the palace as well.As for Carissa, Rafael had been waiting at the city gates for her. Every day, he had someone stationed there. Sometimes, during his midday breaks, he would go himself. Today, he finally caught sight of her.While Davis and the others were reporting at the palace, Carissa went to see Helen with Rafael. Seeing her daughter-in-law's fatigue, Helen urged her to hurry and bathe and change. With that, the couple returned to Orchid Hall.When Carissa emerged in fresh clothes after her bath, her lips were oddly swollen. Joy stared at her, surprised. Without thinking, she glanced at Rafael. It seemed that when Carissa was bathing, R
After resting at Victory Pass for five days, Kendrick finally recovered. Now that he was well, it was time to set off for the capital.Though Carissa was reluctant to part with her family, she could only say a tearful farewell. She bowed deeply to Dominic, nearly causing tears to spill from his own eyes.Davis, who held the utmost respect for Dominic, was the most emotional. While Carissa silently wept, Davis openly wept. He knew this was likely the last time he would ever see the venerable old general, who had served Starhaven in Victory Pass for decades.Dominic was already in the twilight years of his life, and he looked much frailer than the last time they had met. Even though Salvador had granted him leave to return to the capital, the long, grueling journey would likely be too much for him to bear, and the Sullivan family might not permit him to make the trip.Dominic spoke with Davis for a while, and the latter's sobs grew louder.Cindy had never asked about the details of
The journey home began in early September. The heat of summer had passed, replaced by a cool breeze.Liam personally escorted the delegation, accompanying them all the way to Fawnrun City.The return journey was uneventful—no more attempts on their lives, and everything proceeded smoothly. Once they crossed the rolling mountains, they entered Starhaven's territory.They hadn't notified Dominic in advance, so Carissa didn't expect anyone to be there to greet them. But as soon as they crossed into Starhaven, they saw Barrett leading the Sullivan Army, waiting for them.Relief was clear on Barrett's face when he saw they had returned safely. He rode forward, then dismounted and greeted Kendrick, Davis, and the others."Your Highness, Mr. Lloyd, esteemed lords, Grand General Sullivan sent me to wait here. I will escort you back to Victory Pass."Davis raised an eyebrow. "How did Grand General Sullivan know we were returning today?""He didn't know, but he ordered us to wait here eve
"This journey was not only for the sake of Orivenia and Starhaven, but also for Nerathia. No need for thanks; relations between kingdoms are always driven by mutual interests. It is only through personal friendship that true sincerity arises," Faelan replied.Carissa nodded thoughtfully, but curiosity got the better of her. "Might I ask if you know my mentor, Adrian Russell?"Faelan chuckled. "I do. He has been to Nerathia and even stayed at my training grounds for a time. My guard commander, Shadow, is quite close with your mentor. They would often drink together.""Ah, I see," Carissa mused, thinking back to the shadowy figures she had seen.She wondered which of them was the esteemed Shadow. It would be a great pity if she couldn't meet him.As if reading her mind, Faelan chuckled. "In three or five years, we'll visit Starhaven. When the time comes, I'll introduce you to Shadow."Carissa was about to express her thanks, but Violet interjected, "Why wait three or five years? Co
After two days of touring, Liam finally spoke to Carissa."Your country has a Miracle Healer named Sebastian Dalton, right? He's been making a medicine called Snowdrop Pills. Snow Blossom is a key ingredient, but your kingdom has only a limited supply. It grows at the Southern Frontier, but only high atop the snowy mountains. It's difficult to gather and incredibly scarce."However, in our kingdom, Snow Blossoms are not so rare. It's found on many high peaks. The Snow Blossom that Healer Dalton uses now is bought secretly from Orivenia's herbal merchants at a steep price. It's so expensive that every Snowdrop Pill he sells is at a loss."Carissa knew that Snowdrop Pills were rare because some of the ingredients were hard to find, but Sebastian had never specifically mentioned which ones.However, if he was buying an ingredient from Orivenia, it made sense why he needed to keep it a secret. Previously, there was no trade between Orivenia and Starhaven, especially when it came to med
The position Faelan took at the table represented Nerathia's stance in the negotiations.They were neutral!Carissa couldn't help but marvel once more at the power of a strong kingdom.The initial stages of the talks were tedious, with the same points being repeated over and over. The translators were busy, their voices echoing with historical debates. This was inevitable, as conceding too early would only lead to further compromises.As such, the first round of negotiations yielded no agreement. It was simply a test of boundaries.The second round began the following day. Again, they emphasized the same points.But after the second repetition, Faelan spoke up, saying, "There is no point in prolonging this. The dispute over the border has lasted for decades. It will not be resolved in a day. Let us set the border issue aside for now. What I wish to know is whether both sides are committed to establishing peace and mutual non-aggression between your kingdoms."The answer was unan
Carissa noticed that the nobles and officials of Orivenia seemed unaware of Nerathia's intention to intervene in the negotiations.Their faces betrayed confusion, but after a moment, they revealed expressions of joy and confidence. It seemed they also believed that Nerathia's involvement would provide Orivenia with solid backing.Seeing this, Carissa felt a slight sense of reassurance. If that were really the case, Lisandra would have informed them beforehand. Or at least, she would have let the negotiating officials know.But why hadn't she?It seemed there was only one explanation. Lisandra was also hoping for mutual concessions. Few at court supported her, so she had brought in Faelan from Nerathia—someone whom everyone would trust.This made sense of the conversation from the previous night, when Lisandra had invited Carissa and Violet to the palace. The remarks about unmet wishes were clear now. The example of the women taking part in the civil service examinations was just t
In banquets like these, no one truly ate with much enthusiasm. Most dishes were merely tasted before being set aside, barely touched before servants whisked them away.But the Nerathians were different. They treated every dish with genuine respect, cleaning their plates entirely, no matter what was served. Their wine glasses, once filled, were immediately emptied again. The palace servants attending to them must have been exhausted, constantly refilling their glasses and replacing empty plates.Violet recalled their meal at Spring Pavilion. Just like tonight, not a single scrap had been left behind. She wanted to say something to Carissa, but the only sound in the hall was the clinking of cutlery and the quiet shifting of plates. Speaking now would be too conspicuous.Still, one glance between them was enough.Violet's thought was clear—the Nerathians' presence at this banquet must be tied to the negotiations. Carissa agreed.However, their exact role remained uncertain. Were they