Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

The news of Barrett's demotion to a ninth-rank capital guard eventually reached Rebecca, who was devastated upon hearing it. Pounding her chest, she cried bitterly and cursed loudly, blaming Aurora for the misfortune and even accusing her of being the cause of Barrett's ruined future.

Rebecca sent someone to summon Aurora, but her daughter-in-law ignored the call and directly kicked the maid out. That infuriated Rebecca even more.

Tears and snot streaming down her face, she pounded the bed, lamenting, "Barrett, why did you have to marry that useless woman? What a disaster for our family!

"Before she joined our family, she came to see me and flattered me so much. She promised that with both of you in the family, you would rise to great heights. And now? You're reduced to a mere ninth-rank capital guard who patrols the city. What future is there in that?"

Demotions and reductions in rank were not unheard of in court, but to be reduced straight to ninth-rank was a severe blow. In the capital, were there even ninth-rank officials? Even a minor clerk would look down on him.

Barrett sat quietly to the side, feeling as though he had lived a lifetime since the events of the past. He could barely remember the details of the time when he brought Aurora back home.

He only recalled telling Carissa that his mother liked Aurora very much and that any children he and Aurora might have would be entrusted to Carissa to raise. Moreover, the authority over the household would not be taken from her.

At the time, he had believed he was being quite generous.

laughable. It was as if he had told a wealthy person, "Here's a copper coin.

had never truly understood Carissa. He knew she had been sent off to learn martial arts, but had thought that given her noble status, what skills could

completely overturned his perceptions. He had no idea such self-reliant and strong women existed, let alone someone with such exceptional

to marry

because, as a man, his career was crucial, especially with the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the Warren family. Beyond

he had never imagined that things

and tears, he felt a bitter lump in

mess was indeed his

once full of self-assured love, had grown to

had been

that the king had given him a chance. But now, due to Aurora's taunts calling Mary an old beggar, he had

of Viola's orders to break the arm of the culprit who had thrown dung at Valor Estate, the king had reproached the Warren family for setting up a private torture chamber. These charges piled up against him, making