The events in the capital were unknown to Carissa, who was far away at the Southern Frontier.
The war was long over, but the troops could not fully withdraw yet. The first reason was the severe cold, which made marching difficult. The second reason was that many areas of the Southern Frontier were in ruins after years of conflict, and the soldiers were helping with the reconstruction.
Since the end of the war, rumors about Aurora’s capture and
disgrace had spread throughout the army. No matter how much she denied it, there were many soldiers who had rushed into the wooden hút and seen her state that day.
It was not a secret that could be hidden.
Aurora had sought out Zeke and the others to testify on her behalf, but what could they say? Having endured brutal beatings and mutilation, they could barely say whether Aurora had been violated
or not.
Besides, Zeke was furious with his cousin and refused to even
speak with her. Meanwhile, the other soldiers who had once been grateful to Aurora for their rewards now harbored hatred towards her after their capture and suffering.
Aurora remained remarkably resilient, undeterred by anyone’s judgment. Once her injuries had healed, she returned to her duties with a mental fortitude that was indeed admirable.
Liam had expected that after such an ordeal, she might take her own life. It seemed he had underestimated Aurora’s strength. He would have been furious to learn that she hadn’t committed suicide–after all, their crown prince had killed himself from disgrace, while Aurora had the audacity to shamelessly live on. 2
FIN MONDA
The gossip about her did not cease, sometimes even being voiced in her presence. Initially, Aurora would step forward to defend herself, insisting that she had not been defiled, that she was still pure, and had only been beaten and disfigured. But as time went on, she ceased to explain, exhausted by the futile attempts and Barrett’s continued cold treatment.
Instead, she confronted Carissa with a mocking tone, “I heard that you all reached the base of the mountain but didn’t come to rescue me. You were hoping I’d die. You’re truly cruel Do you think I’ll kill myself? I won’t. I’ll live better than any of you. I you want me dead, it’s not going to be that easy.”
Carissa looked at her with a small smile. “You’re mistaken. It would be quite easy for me to kill you. I could drag you up the mountain in the middle of the night, throw you from the cliff, and let wild dogs devour your remains, leaving nothing but bones.”
Aurora’s expression shifted at her words.
Carissa continued coldly, “Or perhaps, I could slip some poison into your coffee. I could make you wish for death but be unable to obtain it.”
Aurora reached out to strike her. “You would dare?!”
Carissa caught her wrist and shoved her to the ground, then coldly said, “I remember how arrogant you were when you first came to speak with me. Where is that arrogance and confidence now?”
Aurora was infuriated and red–faced, but could do nothing against. Carissa.
“You should focus on recovering,” Carissa sneered. “Your military punishment still awaits you.”
Aurora slowly rose to her feet, her eyes cold and defiant. “Do you think I’m afraid? Carissa, even if you achieve great things, I still
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defeated you. I’m Barrett’s wife now, not you.”
Aurora’s pride returned, as if merely mentioning Barrett could bring a pained expression to Carissa’s face.
But Carissa merely scoffed and sarcastically said, “Congratulations.”
Her dismissive attitude instantly broke Aurora’s composure.
“You’re jealous; you just refuse to admit it.”
“Yes, of course,” Carissa said mockingly. “I’m so jealous that you’ve become Mrs. Warren, that you’re now the mistress of Valor Estate, and that you’ll be spending sleepless nights attending to that troublesome old woman.”
With that, Carissa laughed and walked away.
During this time, Carissa had been working with Violet and the others to help rebuild the Southern Frontier. Although the days were exhausting, she gradually learned to suppress the pain in her heart.
Occasionally, she would share a drink with Rafael and the others, discussing the future of the Southern Frontier.
Rafael was no longer the scruffy figure he once was. He now looked quite handsome, and it was no surprise that he was once called the most attractive man in Starhaven–it seemed there was some truth to that claim.
