Her Graceful War Song

Rafael and the scribe walked in from behind the partition screen. The prince first embraced Carissa. before instructing someone to take Florence away.

Carissa remained composed and calmly instructed, “Go to the apple tree and find that box. She noted down the origins of those women”

“Understood!”

The scribe left to carry out the task.

As Carissa leaned against Rafael, it felt as if her heart and throat had clogged up, leaving her with an indescribable discomfort.

“Let’s not dig any deeper,” Rafael said, concern etched on his face. “Don’t hold onto what she said. Your dad is blameless. It was Aunt Eleanor’s own obsession that harmed both herself and others.”

Carissa’s face had turned pale, and it took a while for her to finally find her voice again.

“I’m fine. I can continue the interrogation. Once Florence is better, I’ll question her again. At least we now know the origins of those women. We can send someone to inform their families. There’s no need for them to keep searching or live in fear every day like Jacob’s family, wondering if their loved ones are still out there. They will know those women are dead now.

Carissa’s legs felt weak at the thought.

Once a person was gone, everything was lost. The pain of losing a loved one was no better than the agony of waiting in uncertainty.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and added. Moreover, from what Florence said, we know that Grand Princess Eleanor hates King Augustus. King Sigmund was King Augustus‘ most favored son, which suggests she might be seeking revenge. It’s likely that she and Prince Yuvan were plotting treason even while King Sigmund was still alive… At least now we understand her motive for rebellion.”

Rafael nodded, still holding her close. “Yes, uncovering this information is invaluable to us. We won’t need to question her further.”

He had observed everything from behind the partition screen–Carissa’s discomfort and her tightly clenched fists at her sides. In her heart, Hector was a towering hero. Yet, he had been drawn into the tangled web of Eleanor’s passions and vendettas. After sacrificing so much for years, Hector continued to be blamed, and Carissa’s anger and pain were palpable.

After taking a moment to compose herself, Carissa pressed her hands against Rafael’s chest, fighting back the turmoil in her stomach.

“She’s so cruel. How can someone be so vicious? Her so–called deep feelings don’t move anyone, yet she’s harmed so many people. Most of those women resembled my mom in some way. She even used my mom as an excuse to hurt others. I can’t rest until see her ground into dust.”

“Don’t worry. Evil will be repaid in kind,” Rafael said softly, patting her back. “Let’s step outside for some fresh air.”

“Okay, we’ll interrogate Florence slowly once she wakes up.”

The two stepped outside. Sunlight broke through the clouds, dispelling some of the shadows from the interrogation room. Content © NôvelDrama.Org.

Caked in thick makeup, Violet made her way to Lester Estate to see Carmen. Given her past dealings with Carmen, the Lester family members recognized Violet, but she was stopped at the entrance by the gatekeeper.

After Eleanor’s downfall, the Lester family had lost both their powerful connection and their source of support. So, they had turned away Melanie Lester, who appeared ill and bedraggled. Instead of accepting her and Carmen into the family, they placed the mother and daughter in a shabby house not far from Lester Estate.

“I’ve told you there’s no such person here. If you’re looking for her, go find her in that little shack,” said the gatekeeper, who was especially irritable with Violet.

Having taken a punch from Travis earlier that morning, Violet was already fuming. Now, being confronted with the gatekeeper’s insolence at Lester Estate pushed her over the edge.

She seized his ear and shouted, “Lead the way!”

The gatekeeper yelped in pain, drawing the attention of the Lester family members inside. Melanie’s elder relative, Andrew Lester, rushed out with some people. Upon seeing Violet twisting the gatekeeper’s ear, he was enraged and opened his mouth to protest.

But before he could utter a word, Violet kicked the front door with a powerful thrust, sending it crashing down with a loud bang. The noise drained the color from Andrew’s face, and he hesitated to approach her.

Violet continued to drag the gatekeeper by the ear, walking a short distance until they reached the small cabin. Once she knocked on the door and saw Carmen, she finally let go of him.