Semua Bab Her Graceful War Song: Bab 1031 - Bab 1040

Violet stuck to her point, saying, "But if we kick Jessica out, we won't have to get tangled up in this mess anymore.""And then what?" Carissa replied calmly. "What if something similar happens again? Honestly, I think this whole situation with Jessica is a good opportunity. It gives us a chance to learn and handle things better next time. The way I see it, we should set aside our bias and investigate thoroughly. If the accusations are true, we can kick her out. But if they're not, we give her a chance. How about that?"She added, "Vivi, it's really important to set aside our biases. Every woman who's been cast out could end up being labeled with all kinds of accusations. If we just jump to conclusions, no one will want to come to us.""I know what you're saying makes sense. If we're thinking about the workshop, it's the right approach. But on a personal level, I just can't accept Jessica. And she's not exactly innocent. We should just throw her out. Don't you dislike her?" Violet

Carissa hopped down from the railing outside the pavilion, plucked a rose, and bit it between her teeth. She flipped over three more times, then nimbly swung herself back up, landing lightly beside Violet. She stretched out her arms and faced her friend, offering the rose in her mouth with a smile. Though there were tiny beads of sweat dotting her forehead, her bright eyes twinkled.Violet snatched the flower from her, glaring at her in mock anger. "Seriously? You're the Hell Monarch's princess consort and you're flipping around like that? Isn't that embarrassing? Do you have no shame?""What could I do? I offended you, Ms. Spencer." Carissa's cheeks turned pink as she laughed brightly. "Have you forgiven me yet?"Violet sighed. "I wasn't really angry with you to begin with. Come on, let's head to the workshop and find Jessica."She pinched Carissa's arm and shot Travis a glare. "Still laughing? You're going to dislocate your jaw."Travis couldn't stop laughing, tears welling up i

Violet couldn't help but think that Jessica truly was something else—bad, without a doubt, but also truly foolish.She probably inherited her foolishness, which Eleanor must have already accepted and moved on. Otherwise, why would Eleanor have kept everything from her daughter after all those years of planning?With that thought, Violet couldn't resist asking, "How much do you know about your mom's situation?""What's it to you?" Jessica instantly tensed, eyeing her warily. "Don't try to frame me. I don't know anything!"Seeing how defensive she was, Violet decided not to push further, instead asking about the maids in her former household. She seemed to think they were trustworthy and loyal to her."Even after I was divorced, I didn't take them with me. They won't be mistreated in Ironridge Estate, and Madam Margaret is lenient. There's no reason for them to suffer with me," said Jessica.Carissa raised an eyebrow. "You've never considered that Serena might try to harm you? How

Luke returned after speaking with Giles, confirming that Jessica had indeed mistreated the servants—beating and scolding them. When Luke brought up Emma, Giles broke down in tears. He said that Emma was well-liked at the estate and would have been a rightful wife if it hadn't been for Jessica.Claire had also returned, but hadn't uncovered any new information. She had tried asking the servants at Ironridge Estate, but they didn't say anything. This meant that, aside from the few servants who claimed they had been abused by Jessica and were seeking revenge, no one else had come forward.Clearly, the management of servants at Ironridge Estate and the confidentiality of the inner workings of the estate were handled exceptionally well. It seemed those few people were intentionally going out of their way to tarnish Jessica's reputation."By the way, while there were no new leads at Ironridge Estate, we did find out the reason the rumors were spreading so wildly. A few scholars wrote arti

Able to easily distinguish between politeness and sincerity, Carissa could tell that Marjorie wasn't being dismissive."Madam Marjorie, the queen is your daughter. If Skye Embroidery is something the queen is spearheading, then that would be the best possible outcome," Carissa said.Marjorie paused for a moment, slightly startled. "Your Grace, if Skye Embroidery succeeds, it will certainly be remembered for generations. You've already started working on it, and although there will be obstacles, I believe it won't be too difficult for you."Carissa smiled. "It's easier said than done. In the end, it's a matter of changing mindsets."Marjorie nodded slightly, resuming her walk. "Indeed, it's difficult. But since you've already borne the criticism, why should you share any credit with Her Majesty?"Carissa chuckled lightly. "I believe claiming credit for this would be too shallow. The real accomplishment is ensuring that it benefits the people."There was a brief pause before Marjor