Semua Bab Her Graceful War Song: Bab 1251 - Bab 1260

Even after Carissa left, Kylie couldn't calm down from her anger.She sat in silence, watching darkly as Gerald took his medicine. After that, the royal physician performed needle treatment on him. Gerald also took the pills Sebastian had left for him. Within two hours, his complexion gradually improved.The royal physician confirmed that Gerald's spirits had lifted, and there was hope for his recovery.The Quinton family was delighted, but Kylie was utterly disappointed. Her face was as pale as it had been the day Gerald had gone to the gentlemen's retreat.She knew she had taken a gamble, and that her actions would alienate her maternal family and anger the king. Yet, Carissa posed a monumental threat. Only when her name was fully tarnished could Kylie's title as queen be solidified. Kylie could do everything Carissa had done—reopening the women's academy, recruiting noblewomen and officials' daughters to attend, and consolidating the power of the noble families to strengthen

Though Malcolm had refused all visitors, he personally took Marjorie to call on Carissa.As usual, Carissa welcomed them, but there was little to say between her and Malcolm. Jacob filled the silence with conversation, while Carissa led Marjorie to the side garden for tea.Marjorie had rarely ventured out in the past year and had grown noticeably thinner, though there was a quiet calm about her now.She no longer seemed so tightly wound.In the past, Marjorie had always reminded herself that, as the matriarch of the Quinton family, she needed to uphold the proper demeanor. Even if she disliked something, she wouldn't let it show on her face.She had always been hard on herself, but now, it seemed as though she had let go of some of that burden. She had come to realize that some things just had to be taken as they came. As long as she didn't cross any lines, it was enough. Perfection wasn't required.Marjorie apologized to Carissa for not raising her daughter better. She had alway

Carissa asked a few more questions to piece the whole situation together.Roxana's parents, Anna and George, wanted to provide money for their third son's wedding. Thus, they decided to venture into the old forest while the wild beasts were hibernating for the winter. Most of the best medicinal herbs grew on the steepest mountainsides, and that was where they had gone. However, after several days of trekking up the mountain, both of them were cold, hungry, and exhausted. In a tragic turn of events, Anna slipped on the icy ground, and George reached out to grab her. As a result, the two of them tumbled down the slope together.If it hadn't been for some herb collectors passing by, they would have surely perished on that mountain. Though they had been lucky enough to survive, their injuries were severe. Anna had injured her back, and George had broken his leg. Neither would ever be able to work again, and they would require constant care. With their injuries still needing treatment,

It took Carissa an hour to pull herself out of the paralyzing grip of fear. Afterward, she mounted her horse and rode straight to the palace. She needed a reason to leave the capital.Salvador had received two letters from Rafael. The first letter reported an unusual village they had come across, and they suspected that the villagers were the private army they were looking for. Salvador had sent a secret order for Rafael to investigate the area.The second letter described their initial foray into the mountains, where the defenses were tight, confirming the presence of a private army. However, they had not yet found the weapons or supplies. Salvador had sent another order to continue the investigation, with a directive to destroy any weapons and supplies found.Since then, there had been no word from Rafael.Salvador was, admittedly, a little worried. Sending just a few people to scout several mountain ranges, without knowing the size of the enemy force or whether they had martial

Carissa felt that no matter what, she had to go into the mountains to search. Everett should arrive within a day or two, but until they came, she could only use the most straightforward method to find them.The weather in mid-February was still very cold. It wasn't as dry and harsh as the northern winds, but there was a damp chill that felt even worse. The cold seeped into everything, making her already anxious and restless heart feel even more uneasy and heavy.That night, she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Her thoughts kept circling back to the fact that the mark Rafael had left was several days old, and she wondered whether they had encountered other dangers in the mountains.What if the people from Stone Village had discovered them and ambushed them?In those deep mountains, a massacre could occur and no one would know.Even though she knew the climb ahead would take a lot of energy and she should be getting some rest, sleep eluded her. She finally gave up and rose