After Rafael left Frederick and two senior maids entered the room.
Carissa didn’t hide anything from them. She told them Rafael had come to propose, and that she had accepted.
Frederick and the two senior maids were taken aback. They were silent for a moment, then their expressions turned grave.
This is the best outcome.” Carissa said with a light smile. “Though His Highness and I do not share romantic feelings, we have a bond as comrades. Marrying him is certainly preferable to having to accept a random suitor into our family.”
-Words hung on the tip of Lily and Holly’s tongue, but the two chose to swallow them. They could only manage a forced smile, and said, My lady, you must be prepared. With a royal prince, there is no avoiding concubines and secondary wives.”
Previously, Rafael had also sought to marry her. However, Melanie had brushed him off. She didn’t want to marry her daughter into the royal family. She argued that with so many primary and secondary V wives and concubines, Carissa, who wasn’t adept at dealing with such complicated affairs, would struggle to have a good life.
However, Lily and Holly dared not speak these thoughts to Carissa. After all, it was Melanie who had opposed it. Despite that, Carissa had already agreed to marry Rafael now.
“Concubines and secondary wives are no issue,” Carissa said.
“No issue?” Lily repeated, somewhat surprised. “But in the Warrens, when General Warren wanted to take another wife…”
Carissa shook her head, her delicate face calm.
“It’s different. Barrett promised my mother he wouldn’t take
concubines. I devoted myself to caring for his family, waiting for his return after he achieved something. Yet, when he returned, he sought to marry Aurora, breaking his promise to my mother and failing in his duties as a husband. While I did my part as a wife, he was dedicated to another woman and spoke to me with such cruelty. Naturally, I couldn’t endure that.”
Her words ignited a spark of anger in Frederick and the maids’ eyes. Yes, how could one not be enraged when one’s heart was so trampled upon?
“As for my marriage to His Highness,” Carissa went on, “we have agreed that this union is solely to address our immediate needs. We are indifferent to each other’s feelings, and ek only mutual respect and harmony. Of course, marrying into the royal family is no easy task. His mother, Lady Helen, will also move into our home. She is not an easy mother-in-law to deal with.”
“Lady Helen is the sister of the empress dowager. I have heard that the empress dowager also dotes on her, and the women in the palace are quite fearful of her. If she becomes your mother-in-law, life may become quite challenging,” Frederick said.
He felt that marrying Rafael might not be the best choice, but the alternative-taking in a stranger to marry into the Duke of Northwatch’s family-could also pose risks. There was a fear of encountering a heartless and unfaithful man who, once granted the title, might become arrogant and disregard Carissa altogether.
After all, the purpose of marrying Carissa was to secure the title she held. Once her husband became a duke, he might not be as considerate as an ordinary son-in-law of the family would be.
On the other hand, marrying Rafael had its advantages. He was a man of integrity, born into royalty. This marriage would also serve as a powerful rebuttal to those who had once looked down upon Carissa. Although many in the capital respected Carissa, there were still
noble families who believed she would never marry well. They were unwilling to accept a lower status, which meant she might spend her life in solitude, confined to the grand estate of the duke.
With these thoughts in mind, Frederick said, “Marrying Prince Rafael is certainly better than someone chosen by the king himself.”
At this point, they still believed Salvador’s selection was primarily for the purpose of securing a successor for the duke’s title.
After leaving Northwatch Estate, Rafael felt like he was floating in the air. Once mounted, he turned to Dylan and said, “Let’s go. We need to go to the palace to see the king.”
Since there was no morning court session today, and Salvador was in the study room meeting with the Cabinet, Rafael waited for quite. some time outside the study.
When the cabinet officials had finished their business and left, Derek finally announced Rafael.
Rafael entered the room and knelt, presenting the medal of command for the Hell Monarch Army with both hands.
“Your Majesty, I have two matters to report today. The first is that, with the country currently at peace, it is customary for me to return my military command to you. I am here to return the Hell Monarch Army and the late General Sinclair’s medals of command.”
After a brief pause, he continued, “The second matter is that I wish to marry Lady Sinclair, the daughter of the Duke of Northwatch. She has agreed to this union. After selecting a date, I will send someone to propose to her formally.”
Salvador looked at Rafael with obscured and unreadable eyes.
