Her Graceful War Song

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However, Carissa wouldn't let Heather have her way.

If Heather wasn't afraid of shedding all pretenses and was unconcerned about the reputations of her family and the Earl of Gracehold's family, then let her come!

Carissa sharply said, "First, when Samuel took a concubine and abandoned Leona, you all stood by and told her to endure it. Leona is a dignified duchess and the man's rightful wife. Why should she have to tolerate a courtesan? Where did you place her royal dignity then?

"Second, when Samuel first beat Leona and left her bedridden, neither you nor Prince Harvey uttered a word against him. You merely sent some supplements to Leona and told her to endure until Samuel changed his mind.

"Third, Leona had a difficult time giving birth because Samuel pushed her down the stairs. When she had one foot in the grave, she called out for me, her cousin, not you, her mother. When the king discovered that, he was furious at Samuel for mistreating and abusing Leona. But instead of standing up for your daughter, you defend her husband and cling to this marriage.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

"Do you wish for Leona to die? Is that why you want her to continue to suffer under Samuel's torment until she ends up like Aunt Avis, who died miserably in Verdant Monastery after enduring such torture?"

Heather's expression changed drastically as she stared at Carissa in shock. It was as if she couldn't believe her niece had spoken so callously in public. And Heather was sure Carissa had deliberately thrown that last sentence in.

No one knew about what happened to Avis, as Yuvan and his people had kept it tightly under wraps. Even when Avis willingly went to Verdant Monastery, it was under the guise of recovering her health. Yuvan had presented everything in a positive light and made everything look perfect. It didn't matter that some rumors had gotten out, since even Avis' two daughters were protecting Yuvan.

With Avis' own daughters saying as such, who would dare question it? After all, the outside world was rife with mixed truth and lies.

Yet, Yuvan had married Molly not long after Avis' death, which would inevitably raise eyebrows. Now that the matter was being brought up, it left everyone free to speculate.

Yuvan wanted to maintain a clean and respectable image, right?

No way that was happening!

Since Yuvan had returned to the capital, it was time to confront him directly and in a systematic order.

Carissa continued, "Also, I'm not stopping you from seeing your daughter. If you approach Leona as her mother, I'm sure she would be delighted."

Having finished speaking, Carissa took the shoes and climbed into the carriage under the watchful eyes of the crowd. She left Heather standing at the estate's entrance, subject to the crowd's curious gaze.

Fuming, Heather turned and stormed back into Hartstone Estate.

Meanwhile, Dorothy had really begun a hunger strike.

Noah had already gone to Hartstone Estate twice. Harvey informed him that he had already used his connections to ensure Samuel wouldn't suffer or be punished at the Supreme Court, and asked Noah to relay this to Dorothy. Noah thanked him profusely, feeling guilty that his family had not treated Leona well.

After a momentary hesitation, Noah asked, "With all this wrath brewing, do you think it will drag other people from our family into trouble?"

Harvey remained silent for a long time, his brows furrowed in thought. It made Noah increasingly uneasy.

No one in the Earl of Gracehold's

family dared to approach the king anymore. Even during court sessions, they were eager to be the first to leave, wanting to avoid being singled out for reprimands. It was one thing to be reprimanded, but they were most afraid that

Salvador's would strip their family of their title in a fit of anger.

"Your Highness?" Noah called out again, seeing Harvey lost in thought.

Harvey looked up and sighed. "Because I failed to protect Leona, the king doesn't care for me now. The separation between our families is inevitable. As for Samuel, I still think of him as my son-in-law and want to ensure he doesn't suffer at the Supreme Court, but I can't guarantee that this won't affect your title.

"Maybe you can try to approach Yuvan. He's currently caring for Lady Ruth in the palace and goes to see the queen dowager on a daily basis, so he could probably intercede with her on your behalf. Samuel won't be able to escape the consequences, but at least you'll be able to protect your family's standing."

"Prince Yuvan?" Noah paused, taken aback.

But then, he quickly realized it was a good idea. Yuvan had been in Valken and was back in the capital to care for Lady Ruth. The queen dowager would surely show him some consideration since Yuvan had left his mother in the capital when he went to his fief. "Thank you for your suggestion, Your Highness. I'll go right away," Noah said gratefully before leaving hurriedly.