Victoria’s voice was choked with emotion.
When Carissa was very young, she often accompanied Melanie to the palace. At that time, Victoria was still the queen consort.
Victoria and Melanie’s most frequent topic of conversation was that women should strive for themselves, and not spend their entire lives. being subservient to men. They should have their ow thoughts and live their lives to the fullest.
Whenever this topic came up, Victoria would sigh, saying that she was trapped within the high walls of the harem. Though it appeared she lived a life of luxury and wealth, it was also a life without freedom.
Melanie would agree, saying that women didn’t necessarily have to marry and bear children; they could also venture into the world and. carve out their own path.
That was why, when Carissa was seven, she was allowed to leave. home and join the Pathfinders Guild to learn martial arts. With the skills to defend herself, she could explore the world without fearing for her safety.
In an ordinary family, who would be willing to send their precious daughter to learn martial arts?
However, Melanie was different. She even told Hector that perhaps. one day, their daughter might stand on the battlefield.
But later, after the deaths of Hector and his sons in battle, Melanie’s fear of the battlefield grew to an extreme. She began to think that marrying and having children wasn’t such a bad thing. At least it ensured safety and a stable life, which was better than anything else.
Carissa didn’t know how to respond to Victoria’s words. So, she
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remained silent.
During her time at the Pathfinders Guild, she was lively and enthusiastic. She caused a ruckus every day like a mischievous monkey, believing that the future held endless possibilities. After the series of tragedies at home, her heart seemed to have died. Every day, she lived according to the world’s expectations for
women.
After a long pause, Carissa said quietly, “Let’s talk about this some other time.”
Victoria looked at her gently. “Yes, we’ll talk another time. Your
should go now. Go and wash up. The stench on you is making my eyes sting a little.”
Victoria’s eyes were truly red. However, she had always been resolute and didn’t easily shed tears.
Even though she wanted to say more to Carissa, the mention of the Sinclair family brought a particular sorrow to her heart. Once some pains rose to the surface, they were hard to suppress.
Carissa took her leave.
After the celebration feast ended, Salvador called Rafael to his study for a private conversation.
Rafael had already submitted a report on the Southern Frontier battles, but it was a lengthy war over more than twenty cities. spanning several years. The comprehensive details couldn’t be explained in a single report.
Salvador wasn’t only interested in the outcome; he also wanted to know which military officers could be entrusted with significant responsibilities. Most importantly, he needed clarity on the matters. concerning Aurora and Westhaven.
He had already investigated some details, but the matter was so shocking that he needed to confirm it from multiple sources.
Rafael, naturally, didn’t hide anything and shared all he knew, which matched Salvador’s investigation.
Salvador was furious. He slammed the report so hard on the desk that it wobbled dangerously.
“So, I can’t punish Aurora for this?” he seetred.
Rafael replied, “Westhaven has already avenged themselves, but they are unwilling to make it public. Since that’s the case, how can we rush to acknowledge it? Liam probably thought Aurora would succumb to the rumors and take her own life, but he didn’t anticipate that she would never consider suicide.”
“Did Liam not mention the destruction of the villages, either? Even on the battlefield against Westhaven, he didn’t say a word?”
Rafael shook his head.
“Not a word, but everyone was aware of it. Either way, their crown prince is dead, and their king is gravely ill. On top of that, the crown prince had no heirs. The succession struggle is already causing them enough distress. They value the royal family’s reputation above all, and to this day, they haven’t publicly announced the crown. prince’s death. They are likely still crafting a narrative on how to inform the Westhaven citizens of their crown prince’s demise.”
Salvador sighed deeply, his expression inscrutable.
“If it becomes public, Westhaven would be pressed to send their forces to Victory Pass. At that point, with their army pressing in, we would be spread too thin. We have General Sullivan at Victory Pass, but he still hasn’t recovered. Most of our forces have been deployed to the Southern Frontier. Westhaven seizing this opportunity to
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launch a massive invasion of Victory Pass would be their best move. If I were in their shoes, I would do that.”
Rafael responded, “If they invade Victory Pass under the pretext of avenging their crown prince and the massacred villagers, the Westhaven soldiers might massacre the civilians of Victory Pass in return.
“The Southern Frontier battlefield was different. Until we reclaimed the Southern Frontier, it didn’t belong to us. Even after reclaiming it, the region had endured years of warfare.
“Till the end, Liam was reluctant to harm civilians, adhering to his principle of sparing non-combatants. He is a true warrior.”
