In coffeehouses across the capital, storytellers spared no effort in embellishing Carissa’s military achievements, portraying her conquest of the cities as a grand tale of heroism. As a result, the common people grew to admire Carissa immensely, completely forgetting the harsh words they had once spoken about her after her divorce.
Heather finally understood why she had been confined to her quarters. When her daughter got married, Carissa had sent people to offer congratulatory gifts, which Heather had declined. At the time, she had complained to those around her, saying that Carissa, being a divorced woman, had no business sending gifts–it was bad luck.
Upon hearing of this, Harvey was furious and slapped her. “She’s your niece! If your sister in heaven knew what you did, would she not be upset with you for being so heartless? It’s one thing for strangers to show Carissa disdain, but you’re her aunt! You’re truly…”
Harvey was a leisurely prince with no real power or responsibilities, which was why he remained in the capital. He had never concerned himself with Carissa and Barrett’s divorce, nor did he dare to interfere, as any royal edict regarding marriage or divorce was beyond his jurisdiction.
He was unaware of Carissa’s attempt to honor his daughter with congratulatory wedding gifts. Had he known, he would have accepted the gifts to avoid offending Carissa, though he might not have given them to his daughter.
“It wasn’t that I disliked her, I was afraid you and your family would hold it against her. I acted out of a moment of poor judgment,” Heather cried, feeling both anxious and regretful after being slapped.
“You didn’t even know she went to war, which shows you never bothered to check on her. You claim to have acted out a moment of poor judgment, but it’s clearly a lack of compassion,” Harvey countered.
Heather defended herself, “But we were confined to our quarters!”
“You could have sent someone to check on her. Not everyone in the household was confiner Harvey’s face turned a deep shade of red. “Your sister treated you so well. You and your sister had a close bond that everyone admired. After such a heartless act, will Carissa still acknowledge you as her aunt when she returns?”
Harvey’s concern was not genuinely about familial bonds, but rather about maintaining good relations with those in power. Having made significant contributions, Carissa now held a military post with real authority.
Harvey had no interest in making enemies with any officials who wielded power–especially since Carissa’s divorce had been granted by the king himself. Plus, Hector had been posthumously elevated to the title of duke, which could be inherited. The Duke of Northwatch’s family would surely thrive in the future under the new head of the family.
Heather was shocked to learn that Carissa had made such achievements on the battlefield.
Previously, she had thought that the king’s elevation of Hector to a duke was merely a formality to balance out Barrett and Aurora’s marriage–that it was more about appearances than real significance.
1/2
+15 BONUS
Now, Heather deeply regretted her actions and wanted to quickly try to make amends.
“Fortunately, Leona doesn’t know about this. When Carissa returns in triumph, I’ll make sure Leona visits her. They were very close when they were young. Otherwise, Carissa wouldn’t have sent Leona wedding gifts when she got married,” said Heather.
“Even if you try to make amends, it will never be the same. Moreover, because of this incident, we’ve been confined to our quarters and couldn’t even attend the New Year celebrations in the palace. Clearly, the king holds a grudge now. Just wait and see,” Harvey snapped before storming off. T
Shaken, Heather had tears streaming down her face. In all their years of marriage, Harvey had never struck her. Her actions had indeed been a moment of poor judgment. She didn’t despise Carissa- they were relatives, so it was obvious there were chenshed familial bonds between them.
Heather had simply wanted to avoid further complications.
“Lara, do you think I was wrong?” Heather asked, wiping her tears as she spoke to the old maid who was applying ointment to her face.
Lara sighed. “My lady, you and your late sister were once very close. When General Warren sought permission to marry General Yates, you, as Lady Sinclair’s aunt, should have gone to the Warren family to support her. I advised you, but you didn’t listen.”
Heather sobbed. “But it was a royal edict. How could I possibly oppose the king? That would be outright defiance.”
Lara gently rubbed Heather’s face. “You may not have been able to stop the marriage, but if you had shown some support, the Warren family wouldn’t have gone so far, as they would have had to show some consideration for your status as a princess consort.”
Heather sniffled and ordered a servant to bring some warm water to wash her face.
“I’ll go to Northwatch Estate. Even if it’s just a formality, at least when Carissa returns, her servants will tell her that I made an effort to visit,” said Heather.
Lara knew it was a bit too late to visit now, and it seemed more like an attempt to curry favor. But as the princess consort had always acted this way, there was no stopping her. If she wanted to go, it would be best to let her go.
