Semua Bab Her Graceful War Song: Bab 1601 - Bab 1610

Still, as I saw Cari nearly every day—either she would come to the Inferno Guild to visit me, or I would go to the Pathfinders Guild to find her—I naturally still ran into Isaac from time to time.Each time, he gave me such a resentful look, as though I had wronged him terribly.Once, I could bear it no longer and asked him outright why he always glared at me. He said it was because I had spread rumours, saying he visited courtesan houses and other such places to look for women.I was furious. He had behaved poorly, yet instead of reflecting on himself, he had the nerve to blame others. I had not spread any rumours. I had simply told the truth to my close friends. How was that gossip?In my anger, I punched him and declared our friendship over.Not long after that, Cari returned home to the capital. I thought, as before, she would stay for a month or so and come back. But this time, she stayed away far longer.I went to the Pathfinders Guild to ask about her, but everyone kept th

Before I went to the Southern Frontier, I had no plan for my life, nor did I have clear goals or particular things I wanted to do. When we reclaimed the Southern Frontier and returned to the capital, the cheers of the people made me wonder whether it was a waste to let life pass by without a purpose.I began to think about the meaning of life.Following Cari's lead, I found myself involved in many things, from Skye Embroidery to Gracewood Women's Academy. I saw so many women whose lives had been filled with suffering; I knew I had the power to help them.I thought, perhaps, this was one of life's meanings. As it was only one possible meaning, that meant there could be more.This wasn't a boast, but I always had a strong dislike for evil. So, when I heard of murderers and those who were guilty of terrible crimes going free because of a lack of evidence, I was furious. I believed that anyone who took a life should pay with their own.At first, I didn't do anything extreme. I simply

I watched as Stephen continued to speak such cruel, cutting words. It was as though he was trying to push Rhea to take her own life, so he wouldn't need to do the deed himself."Your whole family is dead, and here you are, still alive, half-mad and useless. You're a disgrace, just like everyone else in your family. You dared to mock me for failing the examination? All of you deserve to die. Do you see that rope in the woodshed? Hang yourself with it. That way, you'll be reunited with your family."If you stay alive, they'll be trapped in the deepest hell. They'll burn every day, as well as have their tongues torn out and their hearts gouged. This is your punishment. This is the heavens' justice. Your whole family was wicked—always spreading lies and stirring up trouble. This is the price you pay. Evil people don't deserve to live."The more I listened, the more furious I became. The one who had done evil was him, yet here he was, twisting words and pretending he was the righteous on

I had read the coroner's report in full. What Stephen described matched it almost exactly.When I questioned him further about other details of the case, every point lined up. Only after confirming this did I hand him over to the authorities at the Royal Citadel and ask Lord Klein to send men to retrieve the murder weapon.I believed the case was solved at last, that all my efforts and days of watching and waiting had not been in vain.But what I didn't see coming was that once we reached the Royal Citadel, Stephen suddenly changed his confession. He claimed he had only confessed under torture, that every word he had said was fed to him by me. He cried out that he had been wronged, insisting he was innocent. Worse still, he demanded they arrest me, calling me a thief and a liar.Then came more bad news.The Royal Citadel sent dozens of men to the place he had described, but no matter how they searched, they found neither the bloodstained clothes nor the murder weapon.Several day

But—!How could one person possess such determination and courage?Who could have imagined that, after I had refused to trust Carissa, she would take matters into her own hands and ride straight to the Southern Frontier to inform my brother?What an astonishing and unheard-of act it was!A woman, who had been divorced and left her home, dared to march into the Southern Frontier camp alone, with no attendants or guards. The boldness and bravery she displayed were unmatched in the entire court.Unlike me, my brother believed Carissa. He immediately began to gather soldiers and prepare for the united forces of Sandoria and Westhaven.I knew full well how dangerous the battlefield could be—there was no need to speak of the details.When the news came that the Southern Frontier had been reclaimed, I wept with joy.Then, my brother sent me a report, praising the soldiers for their efforts. Without a doubt, Carissa and her companions were the true heroes, and I would reward them accor