Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

After bathing and donning her formal attire, Carissa exuded an air of unrivaled elegance and majesty. She touched up her makeup lightly, trying to conceal her pallor and the dark circles under her eyes, to hide her weariness from view.

The royal family banquet was clearly a time for family reunion, but it came with its own set of rituals and decorum that had to be observed.

She took a deep breath before the mirror, striving to suppress the grief of losing a loved one. She told herself that she had become accustomed to it, that familiarity would make it less painful.

In the mirror, she saw a figure dressed in splendid attire, with an elaborate hairstyle and adorned with pearls and jewels. A necklace made of Mystic Pearls shimmered with a lustrous sheen, cascading gracefully down her chest.

This was part of the dowry given by Adrian. The jars of pearls alone were worth a fortune, and they were stored separately in another box.

Her earrings, also made of Mystic Pearls, covered her entire earlobe, adding an air of exquisite grandeur.

The beauty mark beneath her eyes was red, and it now seemed to carry a hint of bloodlust, revealing undertone of coldness and severity. She lowered her eyes, concealing the fierce light of anger that lurked beneath.

Rafael came over and took her hand gently.

"Let's go," he said softly.

Dressed in his formal attire, Rafael looked tall and upright, his features strikingly handsome. Carissa glanced at him and managed a strained smile. "Alright, let's not keep Mother waiting.

Helen was rarely one for understated elegance, but she had styled her hair in a simple coil and wore a modest emerald hairpin. She had originally planned to wear a red coral necklace, but thinking of Avis, she removed it along with her favorite gold bangle set with red rubles and emeralds.

Kiera held Ryan's hand and walked toward the exit. With her hair done up in two buns, she looked

adorable.

as she adjusted the silk ribbon on Ryan's

Aunt Carissa, Uncle

in almost simultaneously, then skipped happily over to

innocent smile on Ryan's face, which had replaced the sadness from when he had come back, Carissa felt a

she had grown fond of Ryan. He was well-behaved and sensible, a child who didn't cause trouble, which pleased Helen immensely. "Yes, Grandma Helen," Ryan replied, stopping in his

foot so that the other was less stressed, but he wouldn't contradict

When Carissa married, Frederick

him to be obedient

He was advised

and practice martial arts,

be too

Helen, as

affect Carissa.

to win Helen's favor, which in turn would make

even more.

mounted his

the family got into

carriage. The carriages were

with cushioned seats

copper stoves

stoves, filled